Students hurt in brawl at Athens High

Three students were taken to the hospital after a brawl at Raleigh's Athens Drive High School Tuesday.

Officials say, 17-year-old Travion Martin, 19-year-old Dominique Montrel Hill and 17-year-old Christian Rayshad King, got into a fight in the crowded school cafeteria and a police officer used pepper spray to break it up.

"I ran into the cafeteria when all of my friends were yelling 'fight.' And I went and saw a bunch of people jumping on tables and screaming," said Athens Drive freshman Riley Nociti. "And their friends were in it egging it on, and people were up on the tables and pretty much the whole school was in our cafeteria, until they sprayed the pepper spray, and everyone ran out."

Fifteen students were reportedly affected by the spray and were treated at the scene.

"We had people falling out. We had throw-up everywhere. We had people coughing their lungs out," said Freshman Greg Brown.

"I was coughing and kids were coming out of the cafeteria with bloodshot eyes, coughing and crying," said Nociti.

While the fumes from the spray were noxious, some students said they understood why it was used.

"I guess they had to do it because people kept going at each other. They couldn't get them to stop," said Nociti. "They had teachers trying to break it up, but it wasn't working. They just kept going at each other."

Officials say all of the injuries were minor.

The three students involved in the fight are charged with one count of engaging in an affray and one count of resisting, delaying or obstructing a law enforcement officer.